100 Golf Courses in Africa Challenge
Sarah and Stephen Forrest embarked on the ultimate golf adventure: to drive themselves through 11 countries and play 100 golf courses in Africa. Here Sarah guest blogs about their experiences and shares some highlights of driving through Africa and playing a variety of golf courses:
Start with the end in mind: driving to Kenya
When you start on a journey you often have an end in sight, a goal to achieve, something to look forward to. This was no different for us.
Our goal was to play our 100th golf course culminating in an opportunity we’d long hankered after - to visit and play golf in Kenya, whilst taking in all the other countries that excited or appealed to us along the way. We set off from South Africa in August 2023 with our newly equipped old Land Rover Defender fully bush ready and more importantly, as we found out later, African road ready!
Little did we know that we would be driving through and around pot holes that could hide our 5 year old Granddaughter in, fighting for our place on the roads and teetering on the edge of hillsides marvelling at the locals screaming past, on the outside, where we feared to drive.
Our year (just over) long journey self driving around 11 African countries took us to some exciting and some scary places.
Starting in South Africa
Starting in Johannesburg, South Africa through the Drakensburg to collect the Land Rover in Durban before setting off North West into Botswana, marvelling at the roadside wild animals taking the shape of the scarce shade.
Into Zimbabwe and across into Mozambique where we relished the beautiful unspoilt Indian ocean which we camped alongside multiple times. Heading south on probably the most awful roads, we hit busy Maputo before driving back into South Africa through an elephant sanctuary.
Our objective was not to show what everybody else already knew about, more what they should know about. Through Cape Town then up the West Side and into Namibia, where we vowed to play every golf course there - a quick google search revealed 8 courses - we played 9.
Fish Rover Namibia
Having these points on the map as our goal meant we got to see a lot of Namibia as well as the must see tourist stuff too.
Crossing into Zambia we find we have looped ourselves a couple of times already as we end up on the other side of the Victoria Falls. Thinking it can’t possibly be as spectacular as the Zimbabwe side. We were wrong, it was stunning; far cheaper, less touristy and just as impressive.
Reenergised the halfway point in Zambia
In Lusaka we stayed at the Ciêla Estate and played Bonanza golf course, which was our 50th round of golf in Africa - now we knew we needed to have our planned punchy golf course to finish, so I started to communicate with the team at Vipingo Ridge.
Bonanza Golf Course in Zambia - Course #50
With our final golf course secured at the much loved Vipingo Ridge in Kenya, we still had 49 golf courses left to play - and a lot more miles to cover.
Kenya had been our radar as our final country to drive around and play some golf but we also wanted to get to know and share Kenya, the beautiful country we’d heard about. Having secured our end point, and having a date in mind to play our 100th round reinvigorated us to continue.
Leaving Zambia we pop over to Malawi, where we played one of the nicest par 3 courses, Mlambe at the Makokola Retreat. We cover some ground, playing the only 18 hole golf course in Malawi, Lilongwe, before finally making our way up the huge Lake Malawi and into Tanzania.
Arriving into East Africa
Zig zagging along and we’re self driving through the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater which morphs seamlessly into the Serengeti National Park where we find lions parked on the edge of the roadside - up a tree - so at Land Rover window height! The windows were quickly closed under the lazy scrutiny of yellow piercing eyes.
Next up we’re in Rwanda, a very different African country to all the rest, not least because we had to keep our wits about us as their French influence meant we drove on the other side of the road!
Entering Uganda we got to play 12 golf courses as well as plot ourselves around the country seeking those golf courses, getting to know the local friendly people.
11th and final country: Kenya
With spirits high we enter our 11th and final country (on this trip!), Kenya, with 20 golf courses left to play to make our 100 African golf course challenge. We were told there are around 40/45 golf courses in Kenya, so we felt quite comfortable we’d reach our goal. Plus we really wanted to explore Kenya as a country.
In fact, with the exception of South Africa, Kenya was the one country where we played most golf, and we loved each and every course, from the tea plantations to the ocean to the mountains. We explored Kenya from West to East, camping in game parks, staying in lodges or hotels on the way.
Starting at Kitale we methodically plod along through Nairobi, veering off to visit other special places such as Mount Kenya, before arriving back at the much loved Indian Ocean, where we played our final four rounds of golf at Diamonds Leisure, Mombasa and Nyali.
All roads lead to Vipingo Ridge
Especially meaningful for us on this journey was the Indian Ocean, we’d dipped our toes in it from where it joins the Atlantic all the way up to Kenya in various countries along the way. Because of this, these final four golf courses in Kenya were special too.
Driving up the long driveway to Vipingo Ridge we arrive and grab a couple of bikes to explore.
Mingling with the bar coded Zebra we tried to ride our bikes on the heavy sandy back roads getting to know the estate, we swam in the cool waters of the pool and took a transfer down to the beach - more than once.
Even squeezing in a couple of yoga sessions on the roof top of our accommodation with the lure of the ocean in sight. We were taken on a mini safari down to the Dam where we met the lovely young giraffe and got to see this wonderful resort that was shaping up to be everything we wanted it to be.
Best known for the giraffe wandering across the golf course during the Magical Kenya Ladies Open, we naturally assumed that these wild animals; with a mind of their own, would do the same for us. But they are wild, and they do have a mind of their own - so we were warned, that might not happen!
Nonetheless, we set off with high expectations of a great course and our final round of golf to complete our 100 African course challenge.
Culminating at The PGA Baobab Course - Number 100
At this stage, I can now let on, I wasn’t best pleased.
Both Steve and myself had been playing a bit of a competition over the previous 99 rounds of golf, and the score was a nervous 50 to Steve, 49 to me. Should I dig deep, or maybe I just played as a I usually do and enjoy every moment, every shot and every rolled in putt. With greens so good, how could I not enjoy this final round of golf?!
The languishing golfers in us was not caused by waiting on slow players in front, or the green to clear, it was caused by the tourist in us being awestruck by the huge Eland wandering near to us, himself enjoying the brief respite from the hot weather in the long shade of the golf cart.
The cool as cucumber Zebra who were a dazzle as they wandered by en-mass in true Midwich Cuckoo fashion, daring us to break stride as we looked on, hopelessly smitten.
We had just finished the 8th when arriving at the 9th tee, in the distance towards the PGA Baobab signage and the Clubhouse, we see all three giraffe. On the Fairway!
Excitement and giddiness meant a great drive from us both as we neared these lovely majestic animals who lolloped along with graceful ease. We met the Rangers who look after the giraffe, and as we chatted, the male giraffe came up to the golf cart and popped his head inside. I can tell you, his long lashes are not from Loreal, they are real. His huge black eyes look deep enough to drown in but the overriding impression was, wow, his head is so big, as he took up most of the spare space in the golf cart. We have seen many giraffe, from all the species of giraffe on the road, and we’ve been close - but never that close!
Tickled pink and realising we still had nine holes to play, we reluctantly said good bye and set about completing our challenge.
Picture the scene, large Baobabs, African Flame Trees, wild animals and me finally playing some decent golf! Buoyed up by the animal sightings, the world was a good place to be that day as I romped in with a win. But only just with 35 stableford points to me and 34 to Stephen!
Who would believe that after 100 rounds of golf in Africa the score was 50 : 50, but who would believe that we were still happily married and after 37 years we have a a whole new respect for each other - that’s what Africa taught us.
Driving Africa Together
We were left to our own devices as we navigated around 11 African countries, we got lost, we were chased by bull elephants, we have countless punctures and more, but we survived and we thrived.
We were in some sticky situations at times, but a level head and being kind and non-confrontational helped. We were stuck right next to each other day after day bumping along in the Land Rover in oppressive heat and at night, side by side in the roof top tent or at one of our various stop-overs, we were literally in each others pockets and the only time we had crossed words was when we couldn't decide what to have for dinner!
Internally there was no brass band, there was no wahoo with streaming banners, but there was tears as we finished our final round of golf, tears of joy and tears of a sense of achievement. We’d come so far, physically and mentally.
Later that evening, meeting our hosts, at the newly renovated poolside bar for a much deserved drink, we were presented with a cake, not just any cake, but a cake to celebrate our 100th round of golf in Africa - and what better place to watch the sunset and draw a close to this overwhelming challenge than at Vipingo Ridge, in beautiful Kenya.
Kenya was the perfect closing country for us.
Nice helpful people, laughing and enjoying our company as much as we did theirs, a country where expectations are high and expectations are met. A country we loved exploring, as we dotted around playing golf with our unique challenge in mind.
Sarah Forrest is a a Published Golf and Lifestyle Writer. Contributor to Golf Monthly and Golf Digest Global Top 100. Learn more about their journey on social media:
Instagram @TravelLifestyleGolf
YouTube @TravelLifestyleGolf
Blog @TravelLifestyleGolf. blogspot
Email sarah@golfgurugroup.com
More Golf Blogs:
